Coconut Macadamia milk
I'm following the theme of beverages since my Summer Drink Up Challenge is at the forefront of my mind!
It might seem strange but I don't actually drink much 'milk' of any kind.
I don't drink traditional tea of coffee so have no need for milk there. My smoothies and shakes tend to use nuts or blended fruits for creaminess. I don't eat cereal for breakfast so no need for milk there either. I DO however eat porridge, and although it's fine with water or blended nut butters, sometimes I really fancy some milk to make it super duper creamy.
I previously shared this crazy beautiful idea for quinoa milk and cream. I still love it as it makes a great chocolate thick shake and it's so easy.
Recently I had a play around with other milk ingredients. This was one of my favourites. I blended coconut flakes and macadamia partly for flavour but also because introducing coconut helped keep the cost of the macadamias down (they are sooooo expensive).
I will say you do need a nut bag or fine mesh straining cloth to ensure you get a super creamy milk. I bought mine on Amazon and it's a really useful purchase.
I also want to mention here that the link above takes you to my newly created Amazon shop. I decided that because people so often ask me for recommendations for books and tools I love, it made sense to me to put them all in one place. It just means that any product you buy through my shop (at no extra cost to you) gives me a teensy weeny percentage of the affiliate fee.
Let's get back to the milk....
Recipe: Coconut Macadamia milk (all measurements are approximates depending on preferred viscosity)
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup macadamias
2 cups filtered water
1/4 tsp vanilla bean
Method:
Blend all ingredients together until totally smooth. Set your mesh bag over a large jug or bowl and pour the creamy mixture into the bag. Using your hands squeeze and massage the mixture until the milk is filtered and you only have pulp left.
You can reserve the pulp for other baking use.
The milk will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. Other options for flavour include adding fruits or cocoa to the mix. I also made a version for Real Food Source (pictured at the top of the page) with blended in bee pollen for an extra nutritional boost and slight caramelly flavour (I do appreciate this is not vegan).
What should I do with the pulp I hear you ask?
I haven't yet got a recipe on my blog, but these nut pulp macaroons from Elana's Pantry could be a great place to start!